5 Things That Will Decide If the Wolves Avoid a Game 7 Nightmare

As long as the Timberwolves don't turn the ball over 25 times again, they should have a very good chance to close out the first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets at home in Minneapolis on Thursday night.

Leading the best-of-seven series 3-2, Minnesota won't have to deal with a rowdy Denver crowd at elevation, instead playing in the cozy confines of Target Center, where a bloodthirsty fan base will be making life miserable for Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and the Nuggets in Game 6.

Minnesota's players and coaches sounded confident that the sloppiness that plagued them in a Game 5 loss won't rear its ugly head again in Game 6. And it better not, because a loss on Thursday night would give the Nuggets a major advantage if Game 7 is played in Denver on Saturday.

Julius, Jaden, and Rudy have to star

Without Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo, the Wolves need big performances from Julius Randle, Jaden McDaniels, and Rudy Gobert. Randle needs to be a force on the defensive end to support Gobert, and he also needs to score 25+ points on efficient shooting.

Gobert made life miserable for Jokic in Games 2, 3, and 4, but Jokic outplayed him in Game 5. He has to give Jokic hell in Game 6 and prevent the three-time MVP from going nuclear.

McDaniels must stay out of foul trouble. As long as he swarms Murray and causes havoc on the defensive end of the floor, he'll be doing his job. That said, another 20-point, 10-rebound game, as he had in Game 3, is more than welcome.

Ayo Dosunmu has to be in attack mode

Dosunmu is one of the fastest guards in the NBA, and his ability to blow by defenders and finish at the rim was on display when he scored 43 points off the bench in Game 4. He doesn't have to go for 40 again, but 20-30 points to replace Ant-Man's scoring is a must.

He had 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting in Game 5, but a bunch of his production came when the game was out of reach in the second half. Attack, finish, protect the ball, and be a weapon from beyond the three-point line. Dosunmu can do it all, and he'll have to in Game 6.

If he can expose Denver's defense and get to the rim, he could set the tone for another dominant performance that mirrors Minnesota in Games 3 and 4, when they outscored the Nuggets in the paint by a combined 122-76.

Naz Reid has to step up

Despite a right shoulder injury that has caused him pain for much of the season, Reid needs to continue toughing it out (and battle through any ankle soreness after rolling it in Game 5) and provide a spark off the bench.

Reid has a knack for killing Denver in the playoffs, and Minnesota needs him to be efficient and find his three-point shot. He had 17 points and nine rebounds in Game 4, followed by 12 points and eight rebounds in Game 5. But he's made just six of 19 threes in the series (31.6%).

What the others do is gravy

As long as the five aforementioned players show up and play well, anything else the Wolves get from the rest will be gravy. Mike Conley needs to control the half-court offense and hit some threes and floaters. Bones Hyland needs to be the speedy spark off the bench and knock down some triples. Kyle Anderson has to play great defense and make smart passes. Terrence Shannon Jr. has to avoid meltdowns on defense while adding some scoring punch.

If any of Randle, Dosunmu, Gobert, McDaniels, or Reid are having a rough game, then it'll be paramount that Bones, Conley, TSJ, or Slo Mo fill the void.

The stat that should scare Denver

In closing, the craziest stat from Minnesota's Game 5 loss is that they only attempted two fewer shots 83 to 81) and two fewer free throws (25 to 23) than Denver despite turning the ball over 25 times. That stat alone should scare the hell out of the Nuggets and give Minnesota all the confidence to close out the series in Game 6.

Add us as a preferred source on Google